1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to elections; campaign finance; clarifying 
  1.3             the definition of a minor political party; requiring 
  1.4             the secretary of state to provide certain notices to 
  1.5             political parties; providing the tax check-off status 
  1.6             of Progressive Minnesota for tax year 2001; amending 
  1.7             Minnesota Statutes 2000, sections 10A.31, subdivision 
  1.8             3a; 200.02, subdivision 23; proposing coding for new 
  1.9             law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 204C. 
  1.10  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.11     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 10A.31, 
  1.12  subdivision 3a, is amended to read: 
  1.13     Subd. 3a.  [QUALIFICATION OF POLITICAL PARTIES.] (a) A 
  1.14  major political party qualifies for inclusion on the income tax 
  1.15  form and property tax refund return as provided in subdivision 3 
  1.16  if it qualifies as a major political party by July 1 of the 
  1.17  taxable year. 
  1.18     (b) A minor political party qualifies for inclusion on the 
  1.19  income tax form and property tax refund return as provided in 
  1.20  subdivision 3 if ~~the secretary of state certifies to the~~ 
  1.21  ~~commissioner of revenue~~ it qualifies as a minor party statewide 
  1.22  by July 1 of the taxable year. ~~that the party satisfies the~~ 
  1.23  ~~following conditions:~~  
  1.24     ~~(1) in the last general election , the party ran a~~ 
  1.25  ~~candidate for the office of governor and lieutenant governor,~~ 
  1.26  ~~secretary of state, state auditor, or attorney general, who~~ 
  1.27  ~~received votes in each county that in the aggregate total at~~ 
  2.1   ~~least one percent of the total number of individuals who voted~~ 
  2.2   ~~in the election;~~ 
  2.3      ~~(2) it is a political party, not a principal campaign~~ 
  2.4   ~~committee; and~~ 
  2.5      ~~(3) it has held a state convention in the last two years~~ 
  2.6   ~~and an officer of the party has filed with the secretary of~~ 
  2.7   ~~state a certification to that effect.~~ 
  2.8      ~~The secretary of state shall notify each minor political~~ 
  2.9   ~~party by the first Monday in January of each odd-numbered year~~ 
  2.10  ~~of the conditions necessary for the party to participate in~~ 
  2.11  ~~income tax form and property tax refund return programs.~~ 
  2.12     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 200.02, 
  2.13  subdivision 23, is amended to read: 
  2.14     Subd. 23.  [MINOR POLITICAL PARTY.] (a) "Minor political 
  2.15  party" means a political party that is not a major political 
  2.16  party as defined by subdivision 7 and that has adopted a state 
  2.17  constitution, designated a state party chair, held a state 
  2.18  convention in the last two years, filed with the secretary of 
  2.19  state a certification that the party has met the above 
  2.20  requirements, and met the requirements of paragraph (b) or (c), 
  2.21  as applicable. 
  2.22     (b) To be considered a minor party in all elections 
  2.23  statewide, the political party: 
  2.24     (1)  must have presented at least one candidate for ~~a~~ 
  2.25  ~~partisan~~ the office ~~voted on statewide~~ of governor, attorney 
  2.26  general, secretary of state, or state auditor at the ~~preceding~~ 
  2.27  last state general election ~~who~~ at which constitutional officers 
  2.28  were elected, and the candidate must have received votes in each 
  2.29  county that in the aggregate equal at least one percent of the 
  2.30  total number of individuals who voted in the election~~,~~; or 
  2.31     (2) its members must have presented to the secretary of 
  2.32  state a nominating petition in a form prescribed by the 
  2.33  secretary of state containing the signatures of party members in 
  2.34  a number equal to at least one percent of the total number of 
  2.35  individuals who voted in the preceding state general election.  
  2.36     (c) To be considered a minor party in an election in a 
  3.1   legislative district, the political party must have presented at 
  3.2   least one candidate for a legislative office in that district 
  3.3   who received votes from at least ten percent of the total number 
  3.4   of individuals who voted for that office, or its members must 
  3.5   have presented to the secretary of state a nominating petition 
  3.6   in a form prescribed by the secretary of state containing the 
  3.7   signatures of party members in a number equal to at least ten 
  3.8   percent of the total number of individuals who voted in the 
  3.9   preceding state general election for that legislative office. 
  3.10     Sec. 3.  [204C.42] [SECRETARY OF STATE; NOTICE TO POLITICAL 
  3.11  PARTIES.] 
  3.12     The secretary of state shall notify each political party by 
  3.13  the first Monday in January of each odd-numbered year whether, 
  3.14  based on the results of the most recent applicable state general 
  3.15  election, the party is a major political party as defined in 
  3.16  section 200.02, subdivision 7, a minor political party as 
  3.17  defined in section 200.02, subdivision 23, or neither.  The 
  3.18  secretary of state shall notify each political party by the 
  3.19  first Monday in January of each even-numbered year of the 
  3.20  statutory requirements for the party to participate in income 
  3.21  tax form and property tax refund programs. 
  3.22     Sec. 4.  [PROGRESSIVE MINNESOTA; TAX YEAR 2001.] 
  3.23     Progressive Minnesota must be included in the income tax 
  3.24  form and property tax refund programs for tax year 2001.  On and 
  3.25  after the effective date of this section, Progressive Minnesota 
  3.26  may issue political contribution refund receipts for the 
  3.27  remainder of calendar year 2001. 
  3.28     Sec. 5.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  3.29     Sections 1 to 4 are effective the day following final 
  3.30  enactment.